Your crossbow is sighted-in, broadheads are all tuned and your ready to go on a crossbow deer hunt, but your just not sure what you are suppose to do next. Well, here is a few suggestions I just happened to think about, that might help you on your trophy whitetail quest.

Early season scouting.

Scouting includes a variety of tasks and techniques for finding deer to crossbow hunt in the early deer archery season.

There are four factors for deer, food, cover, terrain and structure. Knowing what the deer eat and when that food is available to them, and how they use the terrain, cover and structure to travel to and from these areas lets you choose stand locations that will produce deer.

Regardless of where you hunt there are certain foods deer prefer besides corn, clover and alfalfa. These are their preferred woodland food sources. It is your job to learn what these food sources are where you hunt and then figure out at what time during the early deer season these foods are available to the deer.

Blind or stand hunting.

Blind or stand hunting, is waiting for deer patiently from a concealed or elevated position in which you let the deer come to you. Crossbow hunting from treestands and ground blinds positioned 15 - 25 yards downwind from active deer trails in the early deer archery season will give you the best opportunity for a close, well-placed shot at a relaxed mature buck or doe.

Using food scents and or baiting.

Baiting, is defined as the use of decoys, lures, scent or food sources to attract deer. Always check your state regulations for your states specification on this type of hunting.

Early deer archery season is the time of year to appeal to a whitetail’s sense of appetite to get them within crossbow range of your stand or blind. Chasing doe's is the furthest thing from a buck’s mind. At this time of year the bucks still travel in bachelor groups. The scents that can work well at this time are food based attractant scents.